Full Moon Scars
by SilverZelenia
Summary: A new student has come to Hogwarts, a sixth-year, that no one knows. She fits in relatively well, but she's not very open, and definitely not the type that makes friends easily. And, she has a secret - one more people know about than she'd like. OC x Remus, eventually. T for deaths caused by Voldemort and Co.
1. Prologue

**Full Moon Scars  
**

**Prologue/Intro  
**

* * *

Laughter filled the corridor as students filed out of the classroom. The last class of the first day of the school year had just ended, and spirits were running high, particularly amongst a group of four boys at the back of the crowd.

"Mr. Lupin!" The strict voice of Professor McGonagall cut into a joke Sirius was telling, earning Remus a glare, as if it was his fault the black-haired boy had been interrupted. His three friends waited by a group of chattering girls; even as he turned back into the classroom, he saw a certain red-headed witch moving away from them.

"Professor?" He asked, unsure as to why he'd been called back. Sirius and James were the ones that'd been messing around and not paying attention, not him. McGonagall was quiet for a moment, writing something on a bit of parchment, before she finally looked up at him.

"I require a word about your trips to the Shrieking Shack each month, Mr. Lupin." He tensed up, staring at her.

"What about it, Professor?"

She seemed to size him up, weighing the options, as she examined him through her glasses.

"There will be another student joining you in the shack each month." She said at last, folding the parchment up and sealing it. A funny jolt went through him as her words registered. Another werewolf? Here?

"What? Who? Is it a first year?"

"No, a sixth year, like you, that was bitten recently. They have not been attending Hogwarts prior to this year. Now, you will be able meet the new student soon enough, we are having a special sorting tonight to see where they will be housed. Now, run along, I have work to do." She brandished her quill at him, shooing him towards the door.

"Finally! What was that about, Moony?" Sirius demanded as Remus reappeared.

"I can't tell you here, let's find somewhere else." He said, shooting a look at the other students still clustered around.

"Oh, is it about your furry little problem?" Sirius asked, while shooting a grin at a random, giggling blonde girl passing them.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at his so-called friend's antics, Remus shushed him and led the way to the Room of Requirement.

"Honestly, Moony, you're too paranoid." Sirius groaned. He was quiet was once they had entered the room and sprawled on various cushions and chairs in a rough circle, but only because he'd asked the room for food and was now stuffing his face.

It was silent for a moment. "So?" James asked, batting a miniature toy bludger towards Peter.

"There's another werewolf at the school." Remus said simply.

Sirius spewed food all over Peter, who was unlucky enough to be sitting nearest him, and the toy bludger hit James between the eyes as they all gaped at him.

"He's a sixth year, too, but I haven't seen him yet. He hasn't been going to Hogwarts till now. Professor McGonagall said he was just bitten recently. They're having a special sorting for him tonight." He finished and silence reigned again.

"So he's going to be going to the Shrieking Shack with you?" James asked at last.

Remus nodded.

"Well, I don't like this." Sirius declared. "What if he rats on us about being Animagi and keeping Moony company?"

Silence, again.

"Maybe you guys should stop coming, then." He said quietly, staring resolutely at a spot on the wall opposite him.

"No way!" James protested.

"No! This guy can go find himself another bloody shack to stay in, we're not gonna abandon you just because of some tattle-tale prat!" Sirius said, even louder, glaring at Remus. Peter nodded feebly, but he looked rather pale at the thought of two werewolves.

"Two will be too much for you to handle, even with large Animagus forms." He insisted.

Sirius and James met his gaze with equally stubborn looks.

* * *

**Next chapter should be longer, this was the Prologue/Intro. Reviews are loved! :)**


	2. The Last Chocolate Frog

**Full Moon Scars**

**Chapter 1 - The Last Chocolate Frog  
**

* * *

It wasn't long before dinner, but during that time James and Sirius had come to be in a rather foul mood after their disagreement with Remus, not helped by the fact that he made them work on their homework with the threat of not helping with the next prank. Peter had seemed to find this amusing, until Sirius told him to shut up, after which his face assumed a pale, blank look the rest of the walk to the Great Hall. They seemed to cheer up after being reminded that they'd get to see the new 6th year in a matter of minutes - "We should prank him and see how he reacts," Sirius smirked. "That'll be the 'prat test'."

Things seemed especially loud when they entered the hall, the Slytherins were even talking a little noisily - they were usually quiet. Quiet, and sneaky. Well, except for when they were cheering about something bad that had happened to the Gryffindors, anyway.

"Hey, who's that?" Sirius muttered, jerking his head in the direction of the staff table. There was a girl standing to one side of it, looking rather as if she wished she could blend into the wall behind her.

"I dunno, do I?" James muttered back, claiming the empty stretch of bench across from Lily Evans for them, grinning at her as he did so. The redhead shot him an ugly look, then ignored him completely and started up a conversation with the girl beside her.

"Bad luck, Prongs," Sirius whispered, sounding far more amused than sympathetic. Dumbledore raised his hand for silence, and things quieted down almost immediately.

"Before we begin on this wonderful meal, I have an announcement, of sorts, to make."

Sirius leaned forward expectantly.

"There will be a new student joining the sixth year today," He paused, during which time Professor McGonagall had led the mysterious girl up in front of the staff table, a very old and battered-looking piece of fabric clutched in her hands.

"_She _can't be the new - ?" Sirius whispered, staring at the girl.

"I thought you said it was a new 6th year _boy_, Moony?" James muttered accusingly.

"I dunno, I assumed it was, Professor McGonagall didn't specify. Now shut up if you want to hear!" Remus muttered back, annoyed.

"Miss Espinosa has been attending another, albeit less well-known, school of magic until this year. She will be sorted, and then you may all get on to the far more important matter of feeding yourselves." McGonagall gave the girl a tiny, reassuring smile as she placed the Sorting Hat on top of her dark hair.

It was silent for a moment, everyone's eyes on the girl. More silence. Then, finally, "GRYFFINDOR!"

McGonagall gave a much larger smile, whispered something, and pointed quickly at their table before returning to her seat with the Sorting Hat. The Gryffindors broke out into grins and cheering, including whistling from several guys, and the Slytherins' lips were almost all curled as she made her way quickly down their table, searching for a spot. Each person she passed went abruptly from cheering to looks of surprise as they got a closer look at her, one girl drew in a sharp breath that was quickly muffled.

"What's that about?" Sirius muttered.

"you're about to find out," James said.

She had made her way all the way down to their end of their table, and Lily had scooted over to allow her room to sit while they had been talking. The new girl was staring at the table, long, dark brown locks of hair falling to hide her face like a curtain.

"I'm Lily," The Gryffindor prefect said with a smile.

"Carmen Espinosa," The new girl formed her words perfectly, with a very heavy, and very pretty, accent.

Carmen lifted her head up slowly to look Lily in the face; they were about the same height, with Carmen just slightly on the shorter side. Lily's eyes widened, but she masked the look very quickly. The girl on her other side, however, had let out a small gasp that wasn't so easily hidden.

"What do you people keep making that sound at?" Sirius demanded irritably, glaring at Carmen accusingly.

Lily shot him a vicious, warning look. Carmen, however, seemed to have been expecting this, and met his look with a guarded, decidedly not friendly look.

"They're staring at this," She said, in a harsh tone, bringing her hand up to her right cheek. Sirius' eyes widened this time, and Peter let out a yelp, staring at her, earning a hard kick under the table from James. Remus, himself, had to try hard to keep his own eyes from widening. Of course, he had his share of scars, for sure, but he hadn't been expecting _her _to have ones like that.

There was a row of vicious lines cutting across the right side of her face, one passing directly over her right eye, and there were two shorter ones across her lower left cheek, by her mouth. It was a wonder she could even still see out of her right eye. All of these marks still had a faint red look to them that made Remus sure they were relatively fresh, and left no doubt in his mind what had made them. It looked like they had, indeed, found the new werewolf.

Carmen, meanwhile, was glaring at them all, as if daring them to say something.

"They're always like that, don't take it personally. Why don't you try some - " Lily started, but Carmen cut her off.

"I'm not hungry. I think I'll go find the dormitories, that Professor lady told me how to get there." And she left in a swirl of brown hair and robes.

"She sure can move fast," Sirius muttered, as Carmen disappeared out of the hall, people staring shamelessly at her as she passed.

"Nice going, Black! You tactless, insufferable little - Ugh!" Lily hissed, then stood up with a glare and swept out after Carmen. Professor McGonagall was frowning at them from the staff table.

"What did I do?" Sirius muttered reproachfully.

* * *

Professor McGonagall had, in fact, told Carmen how to get to Gryffindor Tower, but what she hadn't told her was the current password. Lily found her at the entrance, arguing with the Fat Lady.

"I'm telling you, I'm a new student here, Professor McGonagall told me how to get here!" Carmen was exclaiming.

"No password, no entrance." The Fat Lady said in a very firm voice.

"What pass-"

"Jelly-legs," Lily said, coming up behind the other 6th year, who flinched at her sudden appearance, watching her carefully out of the corner of her eye.

"Thank you!" The Fat Lady said, with a smile of approval at Lily as the portrait swung away from the wall.

Carmen shot an ugly look at the painted woman as she followed Lily inside, pulling the portrait shut behind her.

"Why'd you follow me?" She asked, glaring at the taller girl.

"To see if you were okay, and -" Carmen's eyes had narrowed dangerously. "To introduce myself without being interrupted by those gits, and to tell you about Hogwarts. Or whatever else." She shrugged, smiling at the new student.

Neither of them said anything, an uncomfortable silence stretching between them.

"So you've been going to a different school of magic?" Lily asked.

"Yes. I'm gonna go put my stuff away, okay? McGonagall said it'd be up here already. Where - ?"

Lily looked disappointed, but pointed her in the right direction anyway, and stayed behind in the common room with a book to wait for the others to get back. In a matter of minutes, there was a loud bout of laughter from outside the portrait hole. She dropped her book expectantly, only to scowl a moment later as she recognized the four figures climbing inside.

"What are _you_ doing here?" She asked, with a glare.

"We nicked a load of stuff for you and Carmen off the table." Sirius grinned, lifting his robes slightly to show her a large pocket stuffed with rolls and small slivers of pie wrapped in napkins.

"Padfoot had a thoughtful moment." James supplied eagerly, smiling at her. "Where is she?"

"In our dormitory unpacking. I tried to talk to her, but - Hey! Just what do you think you're doing?" She launched herself out of the armchair, book in hand, to chase after them - they had started towards the girls' staircase.

Lily pushed to the front of them, retreating up the steps with her book clutched to her chest.

"Boys aren't allowed up here. There's a charm on the stairs that prevents it, too!" She declared, making it to the top and glaring down at them.

"Oh, but we know how to get around that," Sirius said, smirking.

"Watch and learn, flower," James grinned, and led the way up the stairs.

Lily's scowl deepened at the nickname, but she watched with a smug look, waiting for it turn into a slide and dump them on their arrogant arses. Her mouth dropped into a little 'o' as she watched - they were coming up all right, with their feet on the bars of the railing, clinging to the rails without touching the stairs.

She looked positively scandalized as she took a step back and the first three clambered onto the landing carefully.

"Why so shocked, darling?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"That - that's preposterous! It shouldn't be that simple!" She exclaimed. "You're not supposed to be up here!" She gave James a shove back towards the stairs. "And you! You're a prefect, you shouldn't let them do that!"

Remus flushed, staring at the floor between his feet. She had a point.

"You know what they're like. It's kind of pointless to tell them not to do something, Lily," He said sheepishly.

Peter, meanwhile, was still making his way, much slower, up the stairs.

"Oi, Wormtail! What's taking you?" Sirius bellowed, peering down at their smaller friend.

Peter gave a yelp and his foot slipped, landing hard on the stairs, which promptly converted into a steep slide that carried him back down and out onto the floor. Sirius groaned.

"Come join us when you finally make it up, then!" He called back down, then shot a grin at Lily and made his way to the 6th year Girls' dorm with a far too cheerful air.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you know where our dorm is," Lily said, wrinkling her nose at him as he grinned once more in answer.

Carmen was sitting cross-legged on the bed nearest the door, talking fondly to a barn owl, an unopened letter on the bed beside her. The owl flapped it's wings, rising to hover in front of her, and tugged on a strand of her hair playfully. She gave a soft giggle and it gave an affectionate nip to the hand that pushed it away.

"Go on, you, go join the school owls. Thanks for the letter," She stroked the owl's head and lifted it up to the open window above her, watching it soar out of sight.

"Carmen?" Lily asked as they approached, and the dark-haired girl whirled to look at them with an alarmed expression. Her eyes had a wild look in them, like an animal being hunted.

"Oh, it's you.. Sorry. Don't sneak up on me," She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear absentmindedly, then seemed to notice the three behind Lily for the first time.

"What do they want?" Her voice had gone a little more hostile, glaring at them with dislike.

"Er - " Lily shot a look at them over her shoulder. "They brought some food for you, and I think they want to introduce themselves."

"I'm not hungry," Was Carmen's immediate response.

"Fine, then," Sirius said, sprawling on the bed next to her - the one that happened to belong to one Lily Evans, who glared at him. James shoved him off, earning an almost-smile from Lily - until he sat on it himself with a smug look, and she scowled.

"You can sit here," Carmen said quietly to the redhead, who shot her a grateful look.

Sirius had clambered back up to sit beside James, Peter had made it up the stairs and sprawled on a different bed, and Remus - ever the gentleman of the group - was on the floor, leaning against the wall across from them.

"What are you looking at?" Carmen challenged Peter, who looked mortified at being caught staring at her, and chose not to respond.

"Are you going to actually talk or just sit and stare all night?" She asked, yet again, as another moment passed.

"We'll talk, but will you actually answer?" Sirius glared.

"Depends on the question."

"Give us twenty truthful answers, and then we'll leave you alone. Deal?"

She made a face, but agreed reluctantly.

"Where did you go to school until now?" Lily asked, somewhat reluctantly, but she couldn't hide the curious trace in her voice.

"A school near where I was born, and where I lived until recently."

"Which is where?" Said James.

"The place where my father was born, and that's two questions gone."

"But you didn't really answer the first time, James was trying to get a straight answer!" Sirius protested.

"He asked another question," She said triumphantly, with a grin.

Lily snorted and looked highly amused, and Remus' lips twitched as he watched the mutinous looks on his friends' faces.

"So where, _exactly_, is this school, then?" Sirius demanded irritably.

"It's out in a secluded area similar to Hogwarts, with charms and spells to keep muggles away, in Spain."

"So you were born in Spain, then?" Remus asked, looking up curiously.

"Yes. My father was from Madrid, Spain, and my mother was from London. She moved in with him when they married, and I was raised in Spain. I got my father's looks." She twirled a dark piece of hair around her finger with a distracted look, as if she was remembering the place. "English is a second language to me, I learned Spanish first thanks to my father. My mother insisted though, and a good thing - we've just moved to Britain." She gave a very small, hesitant smile at Remus.

Sirius and James exchanged significant looks, peering down at their friend.

"I hear the others coming from dinner. You'd better go or we'll never hear the end of it!" Lily said, casting an alarmed glance in the direction of the staircase.

"All right, all right, we're going, relax, Lils," James rolled his eyes, but got up anyway.

"You sure you don't want anything we nicked?" Sirius asked Carmen.

"I'd take a Chocolate Frog if you've got one, but I'm really not that hungry." She responded, grinning more openly now.

"Here," Said Remus, digging a hand down into his robe pocket to withdraw the one he'd been saving, and handed it to her with a small smile.

James and Sirius exchanged another, more astonished look as they followed him out and up their own staircase.

"That was his last frog from the train!" James whispered, staring at his friend's back.

"I know - Moony, give away his last bit of chocolate?"

"What's the world coming to?" James shook his head, stuck halfway between excited and amused.

"There's no way he's not gonna fall for her - she seems to like chocolate, _and _her eyes and hair are the color of it! He must be in love _already_, it's inevitable!" Sirius snickered.

James let out a loud snort, and then they both started laughing as Remus gave them an odd look.

* * *

**Sorry it took a few days to update - an essay to complete for English and that sort of time-consuming stuff. Reviews are loved, and the next chapter is coming soon! :)**

** HarryBrumbyGames: Thanks! I had the story idea totally out of the blue, working on far more boring stuff and couldn't resist writing it. And, you win virtual cookies for reviewing! :D  
**


	3. Touchy Subjects

**Full Moon Scars**

**Chapter 2: Touchy Subjects**

* * *

Lily Evans was decidedly not happy about the wake-up call she received the following morning. She'd been sleeping very peacefully when she was woken by something sharp jabbing at her face. She cracked an eyelid at first, then her eyes flew open wide at the blurred image of something white-brown sitting on her chest.

The eagle owl had a small bit of parchment tied to one leg, and it's head was angled down towards her, as if it'd been preparing to peck her again. Large, round amber eyes were fixed on her expectantly as she sat up, placing the owl on the bed beside her, and unrolled the parchment.

_To My Beloved_ _Lily,_

_If you and Carmen aren't downstairs in the common room by 5:30 (this morning, not tonight, Moony says I should specify), we're coming up to get you. Padfoot wants to keep asking her questions._

_P.S. Will you go to the first Hogsmeade weekend with me? Oh, and watch out for Ruthless, she likes pulling hair._

It wasn't signed, but there was no doubt in her mind who had written it, considering the question at the bottom, which she ignored. She had barely finished reading when, as if on cue, there was a sharp tug on the end of her hair, earning a loud yelp. The owl, red hair still clenched in it's beak, looked up at her curiously. Lily had an annoyed expression, but deigned to get up early anyway - it would probably be worse if she ignored the summons. Considering this was the Marauders, they'd probably do something dramatic and annoying to wake her up - and the rest of her roommates along with her. The other girls definitely wouldn't appreciate that.

Ruthless, which seemed an appropriate name for the creature, apparently didn't want the girl to go _anywhere _now that she'd made her delivery. The owl refused to relinquish her grip on Lily's hair, leading to a silent, yet furious, tug-of-war in which Lily came out victorious. Not without casualty, though - Ruthless had a reproachful look about her, and flew out the open window above Carmen's bed that they'd evidently forgotten to close. One of Lily's hands, meanwhile, was cradled in the other, sporting several nips from Ruthless' sharp beak_._

Both girls trooped downstairs just short of the time limit they'd been set to find the four boys they'd been expecting occupying several armchairs near the portrait hole. Sirius was sprawled across one with his head propped up on an armrest, half asleep, legs hanging off the other side of the chair.

"Oi, wake up, Padfoot, they're here," James said, poking his friend's face.

"Five more minutes," Sirius muttered.

"You called _us_ down early!" Lily exclaimed, glaring.

He sat up straight after James threatened to turn his hair Slytherin green, muttering 'evil' under his breath.

"So, we never got to properly introduce ourselves -" He had to pause for a moment as he was interrupted with a "I've already picked up on your names, I'm not stupid," From Carmen that was, naturally, ignored. "Sirius Black, the handsome one," He continued, giving a crooked grin, followed by a yawn.

"James Potter -"

"The one obsessed with Lily," Sirius interrupted, earning himself a glare.

Lily, seeing the question on her new friend's face, shot her a 'don't ask' look.

"He's Remus Lupin," James continued, jerking his head in said boy's direction. The he muttered, more quietly, "Reckon McGonagall already told you about him."

"The bookworm chocaholic," Sirius confirmed.

"And that's Peter Pettigrew. He's -"

"Peter," Sirius shrugged as he interrupted yet again.

Something shadowy flickered across Peter's face, banished in the next second as Carmen and Lily claimed two more chairs; Lily was seated as far as possible from the four boys, but she seemed to be holding a temporary truce with them in order to learn more about the new Gryffindor.

"Wait, first - you need to teach that blasted owl of yours some manners, Potter," Lily declared, holding her hands out for them to see.

"Ouch," Sirius muttered, sounding like he was withholding a great deal of laughter.

"Told you you shouldn't have sent that blasted owl," Remus muttered with a glare.

"Er - sorry. Padfoot thought it would wake you up quickly. She's pretty well obsessed with long hair. Attacks every girl she sees. It drives mum mad when we're home on break," James said, with a sheepish grin.

"I had to wrestle my hair back from her! Ruthless - I've never heard of a more fitting name. _What_ is so funny, Black?"  
Lily had her hands crossed over her chest in a displeased manner, but her lips were twitching traitorously.

"Nothing, it's just - even his bloody _owl _is in love with you!" He had to pause halfway to catch his breath from laughing.

"Neither attacking me or being vaguely likely a stalker is _love,"_ Lily muttered.

Her comment was either ignored or not heard, for Sirius started talking again almost at once.

"How many questions had we used up last night?"

"Four, I'm pretty sure," Carmen responded, while pulling her still-wet hair into a high ponytail.

"What classes are you taking?" Remus asked, earning an eye-roll from Sirius.

"The basics ones, minus History of Magic. My extras are Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. Worked that out with McGonagall yesterday."

"So you like the future, but not the past?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"I've never cared for History much, it's boring and I don't see the point in learning a bunch of meaningless facts that are no help in life. Besides, I'm more of the live-in-the-moment type of girl, anyway," She grinned.

"So why Divination, then, if you like living in the moment?" Lily asked, distaste clear in her tone - she obviously didn't agree with that pick.

"I have my reasons," Carmen muttered, her friendly attitude vanishing at once. "And you've just used up three more questions. I'll let you get to ten and then I'm going to breakfast with or without you."

Lily blinked, obviously startled by the other girl's sudden change; her face had gone into a sort of cold, indifferent look, and she was sitting stiffly. She'd been uncomfortable answering their questions to begin with, but it didn't make sense for a simple question like that to earn such a reaction.

"Er - what do you miss most about your old school?" Sirius asked.

"The scenery," Her face remained cold, with no trace of emotion towards her old home showing.

"Why didn't you hear us coming last night?" James asked, hoping she would catch what he meant - after all, their current companion wasn't supposed to know about the furry little problem. She eyed him apprehensively, probably thinking about the fact that he wasn't supposed to know about that, either.

"I was preoccupied, too much on my mind. I was _trying_ to get some peace and quiet, so I wasn't exactly paying the best attention - plus, my noisy owl was there."

The next question was downright trivial, but was answered with the same cold voice. Peter hadn't asked anything so far, and piped up when it seemed no one else could find something to ask that would spark a more cheerful answer.

"What's your family like?" He asked, with a curious gleam in his eyes.

This was, if possible, an even more touchy question to the new Gryffindor.

"That's none of your business. I believe that was question ten - I'm heading for breakfast," Her voice was frosty, and she was gone out the portrait hole with her book bag before they could say a word.

"And again with the hasty retreat," Sirius muttered.

"Did I say something?" Peter asked, looking startled, staring at the back of the Fat Lady's portrait.

* * *

Carmen ate breakfast by herself that morning, ignoring the glances shot at her from the four boys farther down the table, and Lily, who had seated herself on the bench opposite and a few down from Carmen without speaking. The silence between them stretched on relentlessly, but her plans to keep to herself the rest of the day were faced with a big problem - she had no clue how to get to her first class.

She ended up following Lily and several other girls to the first class they shared - Charms - but she highly suspected the redhead new she was doing this, as she would glance over her shoulder occasionally and seemed to hang back a little so the new girl wouldn't lose sight of her in the crowd.

Charms was uneventful, unless you counted the Professor welcoming her to the class. It was pretty much just like any other day must be like, in Carmen's opinion - Lily did excellent, Remus was pretty good at it, some kid messed up and the Professor had to rush over and fix it, and Sirius got busted when the piece of paper he was tossing to James hit the Professor between the eyes.

The Potions class she had that day was much more eventful and entertaining, in her opinion - the Professor's name was Slughorn, and he was a large man with an airy sort of personality, but he struck her as rather... haughty, perhaps. He seemed to show great interest in a select few students in the double Gryffindor-Slytherin class. The house pairing seemed like an odd choice to Carmen - she could practically hear the tension and mutual dislike crackling in the air itself, even on her first day.

Lily was sharing a table with her at the back of the class, and the Marauders were occupying the front two rows. Slughorn started off by having them identify various potions - all of which either Lily or a dark-haired Slytherin boy that the Marauders seemed to dislike recognized immediately. Then he had them working on a Hiccoughing Solution, which seemed, to Carmen, much simpler and much less exciting than the potions they'd been looking at moments ago.

The redhead seemed to be among the favorites of Slughorn, as he kept commenting on how wonderful hers and the Slytherin boy's Potions were; Remus didn't seem to notice, working on his own potion next to Peter, but his friends were wearing ugly expressions. Sirius whispered something to James, who gave a twisted sort of smirk and nodded. Slughorn was praising another Slytherin with his back to them, and Sirius quietly drew his wand, aiming it towards the Slytherin boy under his desk. A small pile of excess ingredients - of what, Carmen couldn't tell from across the classroom - rose silently up into the air from beside the boy's cauldron and fell, with a tiny splash, into the bubbling potion.

The results came in moments - the potion turned an ugly color, like vomit, and began to froth violently with foam. In another minute, it was spewing down the sides of the cauldron and onto the Slytherin, who had an alarmed, and slightly disbelieving, expression. Sirius, meanwhile, had James' hand clamped over his mouth to muffle his laughter, but Lily had seen - her eyes were flashing dangerously.

Carmen had a feeling this wouldn't end well for the Slytherin boy _or _the Marauders.

* * *

**The next chapter will be up soon, most likely in less time than this one took to post. This chapter is a bit shorter, but the next one will be longer. Reviews are loved!**

** ellinise: Yep, I like Carmen quite a lot myself.. She'll get more interesting as they get more nosy, and as the story starts to involve more about her life and not just new friends. :)**

** forever alone: There's an update for ya! :)**


	4. Padfoot's Approval

**Full Moon Scars**

**Chapter 3 - Padfoot's Approval  
**

* * *

Carmen's prediction came true within minutes - all six of them had a break period right now, and the scolding started the moment they set foot outside. Or rather, it started the moment the Marauders took off for a tree by the lake, and Lily followed behind, hissing like a cat who'd gotten it's tail stepped on. Carmen was following a bit off to the side, partly because she wasn't quite sure if she was invited, and partly because she hadn't been planning on coming into the line of fire between the boys and the redhead following them.

"You'll never grow up, will you?" Lily started, as Carmen settled down on a patch of grass in the sunlight; it wouldn't be long before it got cold, especially with the storm clouds hovering overhead, blocking most of their warmth.

"Why can't you just leave him alone? It's not like he goes out of his way to irritate you, unlike how you harass him! And you -" Lily rounded on Remus, eyes blazing; the brown-haired boy looked as if he wished he could melt into the ground. "Can you not at least _try _to get them to use common sense? I know they're arrogant, childish imbeciles, but _you_ should at least know better! You're so much smarter than them, Remus, why waste it?"

A crowd of students had gathered around to watch the entertainment, clustered in a rough circle around them. Several younger Gryffindor girls were huddled beside Carmen, as if they wanted to see what was going on, but like sitting beside a girl from Lily's year meant they were safe from being scolded themselves.

Lily, meanwhile, had continued to rant; James looked as if he was tuning her out as he played with some tiny golden ball; Remus continued to look highly embarrassed; Sirius was shooting glances at random girls in the crowd, earning numerous giggles; and Peter was hiding behind the tree.

"Ugh! Quit playing with that stupid thing while I'm talking to you, James Potter, I'm serious!" Lily's hand flashed forward and hit the snitch with a loud _smack_; James had been reaching up to catch it again just as she took a swipe at it. Eyes gone wide, he stared at her. Evidently, it was common for Lily Evans to shout at them. From the looks on the other Gryffindors' faces, it wasn't normal for her to hit something like that over such a simple thing.

"Oh yeah, I just remembered!" James' face lit up. "Lily, you never answered me from that note - will you go to the first Hogsmeade weekend with me?" There was a massive outbreak of giggling and eye-rolling as Lily's face turned an even angrier shade of red.

"Er - Lily, that Slytherin boy didn't look injured when we left, so it's not like he's in the hospital wing or something," Carmen said carefully, standing up again with her book bag in hand. Apparently, that wasn't the right thing to say. Lily rounded on her so fast the younger girls behind her let out startled squeaks and were gone to hide behind someone else faster than you could say _oops_.

"Oh, don't you even get started up defending them! You haven't even been here a _week_, you don't know the _half_ of it, so just stay out and mind your own business!"

The giggling crowd had quieted to stare at them unblinkingly. Lily shot a final glare over her shoulder at the boys, then strode off back in the direction of the castle. The crowd made a wide path for her as she went, without so much as a word from her, then resumed it's staring at Carmen. What did they expect, for her to burst into tears just because someone shrieked at her? It wasn't like it was the first time she'd been yelled at.

"Well? Show's over, goodbye, run along now," She made little shooing motions with her hands, glaring at the stragglers, and their audience was gone to pester someone else in moments.

"You're welcome," Carmen grumbled, sitting back down across from the boys with a muffled thump.

"Huh?" Sirius asked, staring.

"I _said _you're welcome," She glared. "But I guess I did that for myself anyway, I didn't really want to listen to her screech now when I'll probably have to listen to it tonight in the dorms anyway."

"Lily can definitely hold a grudge," James grinned.

"Idiot." She muttered. "Was that _really_ the time to ask her out?"

"To James, anytime is a good time to ask Evans out," Sirius said, sniggering.

"She was already angry, so I'd rather make her angrier than have her less angry two different times." James said. It was quiet for a moment as we took that in.

"James, that is _horrible_ logic," Remus stated, and he looked like he was about to say something else, but he was interrupted by a loud peal of laughter from the ground in front of them. Carmen had flopped over onto her back and was laughing shamelessly at the offended look on James' face.

Tiny droplets started sprinkling down on them from the clouds above, ignored by the students still remaining outside. Silence reigned again for a moment; Carmen was still shaking on the ground, but she had gone quiet for the most part.

"Hey, Moony, dare you to jump into the lake!" Sirius exclaimed with a grin.

"No, Padfoot."

"I'll give you that box of Chocolate Frogs I have if you do it! It's not even that cold!"

"I'll do it," Sirius' eyes lit up as he turned to look at the new girl.

"You will?"

"I will, but you have to give me the Chocolate Frogs." She grinned as he pouted.

"Fine," He said.

Carmen grinned, too, then stood up and murmured something as she pointed her wand at her book bag.

"What did you do?" Remus asked, ever the curious one.

"Charmed it so that Sirius can't touch it or charm it himself," She grinned with a triumphant look.

"What?" The dark-haired boy exclaimed. "But that's the entire reason I wanted someone to jump in!"

"I assumed that, but I don't feel like having you pawing through my stuff - and don't forget those Chocolate Frogs you promised."

"No way, you are so not getting the frogs now."

"You said I had to jump in, you didn't say I had to let you go through my personal stuff. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a trip into the Black Lake scheduled." She said, pulling her shoes off, then started to pull her robes up over her head. There was a splutter behind her.

"What are you doing now?" A red-eared Remus Lupin had asked.

"I'm not swimming in this - oh, relax, I do have clothes on it beneath it, you know," She stuck her tongue out at the four boys - the dark-haired two were looking very amused, their friends, on the other hand, looked very red-faced.

Now reduced to the tank top and shorts she had on under her robes - technically, 'lounge' clothes she wore around other _girls_, but hey, still clothes - she put the same protection on the rest of her things. She had to walk a short distance around the edge to find a part that cropped out into deeper water, considering she didn't feel like banging her head on something in the shallows.

"Chickening out?" Sirius called.

Carmen peered into the gray water a moment.

"Never!"

And then, she jumped, yelling the entire way to the water. The next thing she knew was a blur of bubbles racing up to the surface all around her and a chilly shock against her bare legs and arms. It was still pretty warm in the air, with a chilly breeze every now and then, but she hadn't expected the water to be _that cold!_

"That's freaking cold!" Her head broke the surface directly across from the Marauders, who were laughing heartily after her exclamation, even Remus.

"You said it wasn't cold!" She accused, glaring at Sirius as she floated in the water.

"I -" He paused to laugh again. "Said it wasn't _that _cold."

"Help me out of the water, at least?" She gave a pleading look. He stared at her for a moment before shrugging and crawling forward to offer his hand to her.

"Thanks, Sirius," She said, smiling sweetly. Reaching up, she clasped his hand tightly in hers, then gave a sharp tug just as Sirius started to pull her out.

"Wha -" _Splash._

When she came up this time, it was to find the other three laughing all-out again, and the now-drenched Sirius glaring at her as he coughed up water.

"I guess I should have seen that one coming," He muttered after a moment, still glaring halfheartedly.

"You definitely should have," James confirmed.

"Especially after all the times you've done that yourself," Remus added.

"Truce?" Sirius offered his hand out once more.

Carmen eyed it warily, then shook it with a grin. They helped each other out, then they each dried their clothes with a spell. The rain droplets were increasing by the time she had her robes and shoes pulled back on.

"I'm heading in, I have a few things I need to take care of. See you," She grinned, grabbed her bag, then sprinted off in the direction of the castle with a final little wave.

"She's strange," Peter said, staring after her.

"Well, she may be strange, but she's well on her way to get my stamp of approval to be a Marauder's girlfriend," Sirius grinned.

"But you're dating Marlene aren't you? And James is in love with Lily," Peter said, confusion evident on his face.

"Well, somehow I think she's too gutsy for your taste, Peter," Sirius grinned as Peter flushed, staring at a spot on the ground.

"So maybe she can liven up our studious little prefect, Moony," James grinned.

"Yeah, and you can't even use the standard, 'She deserves someone better, I can't date her, I'm a were-" Sirius started.

"Shhhhhh!"

"Quit being paranoid," Sirius groaned. Remus merely glared, then stood up with a resigned sigh.

"C'mon, you gits, or we'll be as drenched as Padfoot was by the time we get inside," He muttered.

The rain had decided to come down full force now, lashing at them in sheets as they dashed for the safety of the school. All the other students had deserted the grounds already - it seemed Carmen had left just in the nick of time.

* * *

Carmen, meanwhile, hadn't been lying when she said she had things to tend to. She was currently sitting cross-legged on her bed, re-reading the letter she'd received the night the Marauders had barged into the sixth year girls' dormitory. It was from her father, and she hadn't answered yet. With a sigh, she settled her head against the cold glass of the window to re-read it again.

_Carmen,_

_ How is school going? Will you come home for Christmas break? I know it'll be awkward, but your mother is very sorry for what she said, and I'm sure you feel the same.  
_

She didn't even try to contain a snort as she read this. Carmen and her mother had never gotten along; their personalities clashed tremendously, and Carmen was never good enough to gain her mother's approval. Her mother was ill-tempered and was the bane of 'fun'. She expected her daughter to be proper and ladylike, not go gallivanting around without a care in the world. The last blow-up they'd had was just before Carmen left for Hogwarts. The truth was, her old school wouldn't have her back once they found out she'd been bitten.

Her mother had been extremely nasty about the fact that they were forced to move because of Carmen - the way she viewed it, if Carmen hadn't been out in the forest when she wasn't supposed to be, she wouldn't have been bitten. Her daughter had a very different opinion, as the entire reason she'd gone outside in the first place was to get away from her mother and have peace and quiet. Her mother acted like she'd _wanted_ to be bitten by a werewolf and almost have her face clawed off! Add to that another family secret, one that her mother had been bitter about all of Carmen's life, and there had hardly been one friendly conversation between them.

According to Syllindra Espinosa, Carmen couldn't do a thing properly. She back-talked, she couldn't keep her mouth shut, she didn't want to marry like her mother wanted her to, she set a horrible example for her younger sister, and countless other improper things - and then she went and got herself bitten by a werewolf! She couldn't even avoid a brainless magical creature properly!

That's what she'd told Carmen the night before she came to Hogwarts, anyway. She'd tried to disinherit her, too, and she probably would have if it hadn't been for her husband. It took all of Carmen's willpower not to crunch the paper up into her fist, but she kept reading.

_She loves you very much, she just worries, and she's had a hard life. Don't blame her for how it shows through, Carmen. Don't forget to write, your sister misses you. She hopes you'll come over for break._

_Love you,  
_

_Dad  
_

The expected guilt-trip at the end of the short note. was the only part of it Carmen believed, that and the 'love you'. Her little sister probably _did_ miss her a lot, and she knew her father loved her, even if she sometimes couldn't stand to be around him when he'd try to make excuses for her mother.

With yet another sigh, she stuffed the tiny letter back into her bag. She'd resigned herself not to answer, because she didn't really want to explain to her father how she wasn't planning on coming back till the summer, when she had to.

The _real_ reason she'd come up here, before she got distracted by the letter, was to treat the wounds on her face. The woman from the hospital wing had given her a potion with instructions on what to do each day. It hadn't been very long at all since she'd gotten bitten that she came to Hogwarts - she came as soon as she felt well enough to come, but she was sure it was still obvious the scars on her face were fresh. Carmen knew they wouldn't go away, that had already been explained to her, but this stuff she had to to dab on with a cloth was at least supposed to make the redness go away while they were still fresh. Maybe then they wouldn't stand out like they did - or at least not _as much_.

She hadn't ever faced a full moon before as a werewolf. She knew she'd have to in a few weeks, but she wasn't keeping track, and she wasn't going to count down the days to the full moon. There would be plenty of reminders - and really, it wasn't easy to forget, with her face the way it was every time she looked in a mirror. But the rest of the month, she was determined to ignore it. She _would not_ hold back because she was a werewolf. She refused to.

* * *

**If you noticed the new image this story has, that is a very accurate picture of what Carmen looks like, eye color, slightly dark eye makeup, everything. The only differences are her hair is a bit longer, and that picture doesn't have her scars. Also, thanks to The Amendable Snow Freak, ellinise, and lightbabe for reviewing! Plus, thanks to anyone who's reading without commenting. :) Reviews are loved, as always, and the next chapter is already under way.**


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